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Attorneys licensed to practice in the state of Illinois may purchase a security pass through the DuPage County Bar Association that allows them to enter the 18th Judicial Circuit court building via a separate attorney security line. The passes are also honored by Kane County courthouse security.

DuPage County allows cell phones with photo capability into the courthouse for attorneys with a current ARDC card. Without a court pass, attorneys must go through the public security line and show their ARDC card. Court Security reserves the right to refuse the admittance of any cell phone, at their discretion. Taking photos within the courthouse is forbidden of all attorneys.

Requirements for a pass:

Current ARDC card

Signed ID application card (*see new requirement below)

Photo ID

$30 for a new pass

$20 to renew a previous DuPage transponder pass - the transponder portion of the ID must be reusable

Payment may be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx), check payable to DuPage County Bar Association (DCBA) or exact cash. Passes must be obtained in person. We will take your photo. Expect a new photo will be taken for renewals as well as new IDs.

Courthouse pass hours: The first business day in January – first Friday in February, Monday through Friday, 8:30 - 11:00 am in the Attorney Resource Center on the 3rd Floor of the Judicial Center (505 N. Country Farm Rd., Wheaton) Watch for notices confirming exact dates for each year. Due to equipment restraints, no passes are issued at the Bar Center during these dates.Note: We cannot issue a pass until the ARDC has noted licensure for the ID "year” via their website or your ARDC card. All IDs issued will expire January 31 of the following year.

Transponder ID's will not be activated immediately. It may take up to one week for county validation of new or replacement IDs, or renewals after the expiration date.

Court passes are valid for the attorney named on the card only. Attempted use by another will result in confiscation by court security. No court passes may be issued for non-attorneys. The transponder IDs are also accepted by court security in Kane County.

Court IDs for the next year will be processed and accepted by the County as soon as the new ARDC cards are issued for that year. Avoid the lines and renew at the Bar Office November - December.

If you have additional questions, please contact the DCBA at (630) 653-7779.
Out of State Attorneys:

Attorneys licensed outside of the state of Illinois must prove that they are licensed and in good standing in their home state. Contact the DCBA Executive Director at bar@dcba.org or call (630) 653-7779 for more information.

Attorneys with concealed carry permits:

The ID application requires attorneys to indicate whether they have a concealed carry permit. The Firearm Concealed Carry Act (Public Act 98-0063), section 65
lists all Courthouses as prohibited areas.
Because DCBA has partnered with the DuPage Sheriff’s office to allow
attorneys to bypass the security screening, the Sheriff’s office has requested
that attorneys with a Concealed Carry permit have an ID with a red background
behind his or her picture.

If you
obtain a Concealed Carry permit after receiving your court pass for the year, you are required to return to the Bar Center
to have your picture retaken with the red background. There will be no additional charge to update an ID for the concealed carry photo in the same year as the original pass. The red
background will alert the DuPage Deputy at the bypass line that the attorney
has a concealed carry permit. The Deputy
may confirm with the attorney that he or she does not currently have a
concealed firearm on his or her person.
Anyone found to have a firearm in the courthouse will be charged with a Class
B Misdemeanor. The Sheriff’s office has
implemented this new rule to maintain security in the courthouse.

If you have
any questions, please contact the Chief Deputy at 630-407-2321.

Court ID Suspension

The 18th Circuit wishes to notify attorneys that judges review cases where an attorney or other pass holder is a party to a case (defendant or litigant) before them. Each judge may make recommendations to the Court Administrator and Chief Judge's office to suspend the courthouse pass for the duration of that case. Final determination will be made by the Chief Judge. Once the case has concluded, the attorney or other pass holder may request reinstatement of the security pass.

A security pass will be deactivated if an attorney's license to practice is suspended by the ARDC for the period of time indicated on the suspension order.